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Best Special Education Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Special Education Schools in Virginia

14 Colleges
$46,837 Avg Salary
$31,153 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Special Education School for You

In 2020-2021, special education students earned 1,238 degrees and certificates from a Virginia school, making the subject the 4th in the state.

It's not easy to decide which teaching program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Teaching Degree Search has created its Best Special Education Schools in Virginia ranking. Our analysis looked at 14 schools in Virginia to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for teaching students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Special Education Schools in Virginia

Check out the special ed programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Special Education Schools

Our analysis found University of Virginia - Main Campus to be the best school for special education students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Charlottesville.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#2

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

Out of the 14 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, George Mason University landed the # 2 spot on the list. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.

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#3

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA

The excellent programs at William & Mary helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in Virginia. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg.

Read full report on Special Education at William & Mary

#4

Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA

The excellent programs at Shenandoah University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best special education schools in Virginia. Shenandoah is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winchester.

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#5

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Special Education Schools in Virginia list. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Full Special Education at James Madison University Report

#6

Marymount University

Arlington, VA

Marymount University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Special Education Schools in Virginia list. Marymount is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Arlington.

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With a ranking of #7, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on this year’s best schools for special education students. VCU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Richmond.

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#8

Radford University

Radford, VA

Radford University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the small suburb of Radford, Radford is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

Full Special Education at Radford University Report

#9

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA

University of Mary Washington did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #9 on the list. UMW is a small public school located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg.

Read full report on Special Education at University of Mary Washington

#10

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA

Old Dominion University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for special education students. It came in at #10 on the list. Old Dominion is a very large public school located in the city of Norfolk.

Read full report on Special Education at Old Dominion University

Best Special Education Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Special Education Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Kentucky 608
Tennessee 354
North Carolina 477
Georgia 550
Florida 1,103
West Virginia 46
South Carolina 266
Arkansas 351
Louisiana 103
Mississippi 269
Alabama 437

Special Education is one of 14 different types of teaching programs to choose from.

Special Ed Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
General Special Education 24,497
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 3,111
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities 1,789
Elementary Special Education 1,625
Other Special Education & Teaching 1,227
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism 1,133
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Secondary Special Education Programs 655
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities 540
Education/Teaching of the Gifted & Talented 504
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments 415
Education of the Deaf 363
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances 226
Education/Teaching of Individuals Who are Developmentally Delayed 222
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Junior High/Middle School Special Education Programs 181
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Vision Impairments Including Blindness 134
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities 122
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Orthopedic & Other Physical Health Impairments 47
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries 1

Majors Similar to Special Ed

Related Major Annual Graduates
Teacher Education Grade Specific 110,226
Educational Administration 46,469
Teacher Education Subject Specific 43,297
General Education 29,810
Curriculum & Instruction 19,832

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 14 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to woodleywonderworks.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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